The spark of the idea to search for the perfect Kung Fu oolong dated back to this post:
http://themandarinstea.blogspot.com/2006/08/what-is-traditional-kung-fu-tea.html
After a long journey to find the origin of Kung Fu tea, from Chaozhou to Anxi and Wuyi mountain in China, the frustration of a deeper understanding of what Real Kung fu means still lingers.... Until 2 years of testing and tasting with Michael at the tea gallery, the result is this SX from Wuyi San....
Second day of tasting. The tea made a turn from masculine to scholastic this morning. Cigar to floral, acacia flower fragrance to be exact. First thing I did is to taste the overnight brew: lychee and floral notes, hint of tobacco sweetness around my mouth. Following with a rush of sandalwood coating my throat, creamy apricot aftertaste. I then pour boiling water into the pot, awakening the leaves again. The distinctive aroma of this refine fired SX covered my tea room, what a talent this tea master processes.... The man who is responsible for this addiction is under 40 yrs of age!
Wuyi or Anxi (high fired) is "crafted tea", or perhaps "Real" Kung Fu tea.
Why? From picking trees to aging such tea involved skills and experience every steps of the way. The reason why this tea outlasts every others is that, the master firing had penetrated to the core of the leaves, without changing the nature of its character. Almost "preserved" it. It tastes very normal for the 08, but if aged properly (btw. Storing/aging this kind of oolong is 10 times more work than puerh.) The tea will develop like fine wine.
This is the link to the finding of this tea:
http://themandarinstea.blogspot.com/2006/08/wuyi-rock-oolong-tasting.html
After enjoying this quick steep, (Hot water in, hot water over the pot until the pot suck up the surface dry.) I refilled it again with boiling water and sealed it for tonight.
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6 comments:
Can you further explain "until the pot suck up the surface dry"? And for how long? Such an interesting concept. Thanks for your posts, and thanks for sending me to the Tea Gallery. I visited two Saturdays ago and was in awe. Also purchased tea and Michael so graciously offered me a taste of water from the Ching vessel. Thanks Toki!
Hi Eileen-I think I should do a post on the step-by-step on this concept.
Thanks for dropping by the Tea Gallery, Mike and MarshallN did mentioned your quick stop-and-shop : ) Sad to have missed you.... Hope next time will sit down and have a taste of the Qing puerh together!
>> "I should do a post on the step-by-step on this concept."
Great idea! I think it can be very usefull for a lot of poeple (including me) if you can share on a more explicit way your gong fu cha skills and experience
I'am a tea fanatic, but my pratice of the gong Fu cha is mostly the product of a self-teaching based on my own expériment and curiosity.
Knowing about the experience of others is always very interessting... I'm still looking for the best way to brew, and trying to discover what "real" Gong fu Cha is...
Thanks for your blog, I like it a lot!
You're welcome to take a look on my tea-blog (in french- sorry for my poor English...)
Next time I plan to visit Brooklyn, I'll be in touch beforehand. Thanks for the invite. I was completely in awe when I stopped at The Tea Gallery, so beautiful, so serene and then to meet Marshaln by chance. Jeez Louise! Far more than I could have expected. Thanks for all the informative posts. You probably don't realize how much they mean to those of us who love tea and wish to learn.
hi Thomas, I just link yours to mine, if you don't mind?
and Eileen - will be waiting for good tea time with you soon : ) Cheers - Tok
Hi Toki,
thanks for the link!
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